


Playing Hooky

by saisei



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fishing, Gen, up to no good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 16:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12988041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saisei/pseuds/saisei
Summary: Noct wants to go fishing; Ignis is willing to steal a car to help him out. (Ignis Fluff Week Day 2: Getting Into Trouble- stealing the Regalia)





	Playing Hooky

Noct changes after the Marilith attack, and again after Tenebrae. He's quieter – sullen and withdrawn – and prone to anger and backtalk. He's recovered enough to start training, in fighting as well as magic, but to Ignis, he rarely appears happy.

So one Saturday afternoon, when Noct sends a flurry of messages about a fishing spot a kid at school told him about (complete with a map and six blurry pictures of dead fish), Ignis doesn't reply with an uninterested _That's nice_ or a quelling _How thrilling_. Instead, he asks, _Do you want to go?_ , adding a moment later, _I'm free tomorrow_.

(This is a half-truth: he has to revise for exams, but he can do that anywhere, he supposes.)

Noct sends back a bouncing smiley emoji, and then a frowning one. _I don't have stuff._

Ignis has already told Gladio, who owns all the paraphernalia a fisherman could need. _Don't worry,_ he replies. _We'll pick you up at eight._

* * *

Ignis updates his and Noct's schedules, adding a six-hour block for "tutoring, cleaning, and lunch." Checking a car out from the Citadel's garage is trickier; he has to scan his license to access the reservations site. Still, he's confident he got away with it.

At least, until he goes to collect the car at half-past seven and finds King Regis waiting for him.

"Explain," the King says, and Ignis isn't a stranger to getting in trouble, but it always makes him feel sick. He wants to be trusted and trustworthy; he can think of nothing worse than losing the respect of the people he cares for.

He can't lie, not to the King, so he stumbles though an explanation, sharing the texts and the map and the blurry pictures of fish. He knows, he says, that he's erred, and that he deserves whatever punishment is coming, but please – he bows as low as he can – please, can _someone_ take Noct fishing?

"You're fifteen, and you should know better," Regis tells him. "But you're also only _fifteen_. Believe it or not, I did far worse at your age. Here." He holds something out; Ignis straightens and takes what's offered. Keys, on a black leather fob. "Send that map to Cor, he'll be wanting to keep an eye on you, but I see you've arranged Crownsguard protection of your own."

"Your Majesty," Ignis says, confused and alarmed. "This was entirely my idea." He doesn't want to think about the trouble he'll be in for if Gladio is punished, too.

"Yes, I'm certain you twisted Gladiolus' arm," Regis says dryly, with a pointed look at Ignis, who was left rail-thin and all awkward sharp bones after a recent growth spurt. "Go, enjoy yourselves. Make my son smile, and send pictures."

Ignis bows again, and offers his thanks.

It's not until Regis has gone that he realizes he's holding the keys to the Regalia.

Ignis picks Noct up, and then Gladio and Iris (due to inescapable babysitting duty). Gladio has a cooler, fishing rods, and a set of lures that Noct examines with reverence.

Gladio keeps looking between Ignis and the car, as if he wants to ask but is afraid of the answer. Ignis... likes this, and just smirks.

Finally, as they're getting in the car, Gladio slaps the back of Ignis' shoulder hard. "Nice wheels," he says under his breath. "You've got brass ones, Scientia."

* * *

The fishing spot is deserted when they arrive. There's a small sandy parking area, with benches off to one side, and then through some sparse twisted pines is the rocky shore Noct's schoolmate swore had the best fishing in all of Insomnia. Ignis begs off the actual tedium of sitting around waiting for the fish to bite; he spreads out his blanket under a tree and takes out the notes covering the material on his exams, meaning to sit down and study.

But the sky over the wall is a light clear blue, and the lapping waves glitter in the sunlight. Despite knowing that he has no artistic talent whatsoever, Ignis takes a few pictures of the landscape, which utterly fail to capture its charm. Giving up, he turns his camera on Gladio, Noct, and Iris, and manages to take some passable shots. Gladio and Noct are in high competitive mode, each intent on catching the biggest or rarest or tastiest fish – Ignis isn't sure what the criteria are, precisely. It's enough that Noct and Gladio are being ridiculous, and therefore ignoring the camera.

Iris, on the other hand, loves having her picture taken. She's an adorable child, except for the occasional moments when she looks far too much like a miniature version of her father in purple leggings and a moogle t-shirt. When she gets bored, Ignis takes her for a walk, and they count the boats in the distance and the crabs that scurry away from their shadows.

The first fish are caught, and Ignis duly takes commemorative pictures. Then more fish, more pictures. Then lunch, with everyone crowding onto the blanket to devour sandwiches and cheese and fruit, washing it all down with iced tea. Gladio and Iris are enthusiastically thankful and Noct has a third sandwich without even removing the tomato, so Ignis is glad he made an effort with the food, even if that meant waking up earlier than usual. Iris steals his phone and takes group selfies which are all out of focus; Gladio tries to tickle her and she climbs onto his shoulders to escape. Ignis catches his phone before it gets trampled, and gets a magical shot of Noct laughing so hard he has to hold his sides.

After lunch, things are quiet and serious again – fishing requires focus, Gladio says – so Ignis finally gets an opportunity to send the King the best of his pictures and to read over his notes. But the sun makes the dappled shadows dance across the paper, and he has to close his eyes for a moment – 

– he wakes hours later, coming slowly into consciousness to the sound of voices and laughter. For a moment, he doesn't know where he is, blinking up at a blur of blue and green. He's warm, and his limbs are heavy; he yawns and stretches and makes himself curl up to sitting, He feels around the blanket until he finds his glasses, and rubs the last sleep out of his eyes before he puts them on.

He was woken, he supposes, by the bustle of everyone packing up for the trip home. When he stumbles upright, disoriented by the loss of several hours, Gladio teases him about missing all the fun. Ignis apologizes – he can't remember the last time he napped, he's sure he must have still been a toddler – but Gladio squints at him like he's grown an extra head.

"You needed the sleep," he says, and tosses Ignis a familiar black-labeled can. "Long drive home, you good for that?"

"Of course," Ignis says, offended. He takes a long, bracing sip of coffee. "I'm a good driver." Even King Regis thought so, apparently.

"Better you than me." Gladio shrugs. "We're ready to go when you are."

On the way back, Noct and Iris fall asleep, Noct in the front seat and Iris draped over Gladio like a house-cat. Gladio insists on telling Ignis all the highlights of their epic battle against fish, despite Ignis professing his deep disinterest.

* * *

They have an early dinner at Gladio's, cooking enough of the day's catch for everyone in the house, and then Ignis drives Noct home. He's glad that Noct's too worn out to pay much attention to how easy it is for Ignis to return the car; he walks him to his chambers, says his good nights, and heads home himself, remarkably self-satisfied considering he's so ill-prepared for his exams.

The day fades into a fond memory. King Regis thanks him for the pictures; Ignis likes to think that he keeps them, or at least the one with Noct showing off his grouper, smiling so widely his eyes squinted shut. And much later, when Ignis has met Noct's friend Prompto, he overhears Noct explaining, "He looks boring – " ( _excuse me?_ ) "– but once he stole my dad's car to take me fishing _and never got caught_."

"No way," Prompto says, sneaking a look at Ignis from where he's playing games on the floor of Noct's apartment.

"Way," Noct confirms solemnly, and Ignis has to turn away to pretend to adjust the coffee maker to hide his smile.


End file.
